manifesto on the design of human experience · 2018-04-02 · the integration of technology and...

Manifesto on the Design of Human Experience

IDEAS WE CARE ABOUT

Our manifesto on the design of human experience

is an evolving exploration, as much as it is a

statement about what we have learned and what

is important to us. On one level it articulates

our beliefs about sustaining behavioral change

through exceptional learning, design and human

experience. On another level it speaks to what

we have come to understand about what it really

takes to make lasting and profound strategic and

cultural shifts within our client organizations. At

still another and more fundamental level, it is about

what makes us human.

The following design elements are the ‘strange

attractors’ that create profound and meaningful

shifts in both the process of our work and the

outcomes we achieve together with our clients

and partners. These ideas drive our design and

business innovation and collectively they form the

heart of our raison d’être.

Where do we start in design of learning experience?Most people start from learning outcomes. We

start from an emotional connection to the learning

outcome; not only what the benefit is to the

organization of this change, but also why the

participants would care about this. We have to

reach and challenge them intellectually, but also

fully engage them emotionally. The story emerges

in pulsing, living form, from the heart of the

problem; it doesn’t descend coolly from the head.

Don JonesFounder & President

Copyright exper!ence it inc. (www.experienceit.com) +1 (416) 699-6107

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Culture as OutcomeCultural alignment is always a key learning outcome. Nothing can happen by rules, policies or laws alone;

there has to be will. Culture aligns will. Period.

Design Lays the Cultural TracksMost organizations create decent strategy. Then they turn to the troops and effectively say, “Here it is, let’s

go!” Great design of human experience lays the cultural tracks upon which the strategy can effectively

roll out. Without it the strategy, good or mediocre, will be mired in implementation problems that bright

people will not make the effort to solve.


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ElevateGreat human experiences require some form of elevation: of the conversation... of the idea... of the

purpose... of the core reason for doing it in the first place. The question of ‘why’ always has to be asked

again and again. Human experiences are always profound, though they can be disguised as mundane.

Noticing the profound in the mundane and bringing this understanding to light for others elevates design.

Virtual Learning and The Last MileLearning happens within an individual so, while distribution systems are, and will be, massive and global,

learning actually happens individually and thus locally. The design of that last mile needs to fit the local

and individual contexts rather than only satisfy the global and collective ones.

The integration of technology and human design across the three stages of the last mile: delivery,

acceptance and application, facilitated through the initial act of creation, holds the keys to unlocking

the almost unlimited human and digital potential that lies within the present and future of learning.

The solution requires a design esthetic that integrates the perspectives and aspirations of both art and

science.

We have everything we need within our grasp. The costs and capacities of technology are such that

we have enough, and now the solution is in our hands to build the human nuances of a learner’s digital

‘acceptance’ and ‘application’ in consort with the technological architecture, rather than on top of it.

(See our Thought Paper The Last Mile: The Future of Digital Learning.)


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The Power of OneHumans don’t have experiences as a group; they may however, individually experience events in a group.

The difference is profound. Humans process their experiences internally, individually and on many levels,

even when they are influenced by being in a group. Design needs to provide unique experiences for

each individual – whether it is the design of a space or an experiential event. The details have to be deep

enough for individuals to feel emotionally and intellectually that this experience has been designed for

them alone. This is not only possible, it is required; whether for an afternoon in-classroom experience for

six people, or a virtual immersive world for 1000 people around the world.

ResonateHumans, even when they experience something new, need to ground that experience against something

old. To have a new insight it must be both fresh and old at the same time. It must provide a new way of

seeing, but feel right intuitively from experience. It needs to both startle and resonate at once.


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Everything is ChangingNo it’s not. Yes, there are many changes happening on many levels in our world. But many things have

not changed. We need love, some sense of control, acceptance, security and meaning in our lives. These

fundamentals are enduring and drive every one of our daily personal and professional actions and choices.

Design has to use the strongest foundation to build upon. We need to recognize change for what it is and

what it says, but the design needs to build on rock-solid foundations that have not changed in

a millennium.

Doing ‘A’ While Hoping for ‘B’Most design of human experience achieves ‘A,’ while hoping for ‘B.’ The experience often misses the way

humans really work. Humans are messy. They sense, feel, think, do, act and react to their environment in

ways that are nuanced and individually determined. But if you look closely enough, you can find patterns

that can help your design move from an interesting idea to a powerful solution for many. Designs have to

fit and work in the context of an individual’s real life and work; their real life doesn’t have to fit into

a design.


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Design Expresses CultureDesign of human experiences expresses the culture of the enterprise; in many ways, more so than the

content. Content expresses the stated intent and the logic of the organization, while the macro design

elements express its unstated culture. Participants clearly get the latter message, whether intended or not

and behave accordingly. The problem with much design is that the cultural messages being sent are either

unintended or misaligned with the outcomes the company wants to achieve.

Creative is Found Deep with RigourGreat creativity emerges from the confluence of deep rivers of thought: the honest examination of the

landscape, issue or idea, the broad and deep experience of the designer and team, and the contours and

context merge the two in the birth of an idea. The illusion is that it is from the blank page that creative

design flows. In fact, it flows from deep (sometimes invisible) processes that support it. Artists, actors and

designers deeply mine and rigorously examine the landscape, whether that landscape is human behaviour,

a business culture, a competitive advantage, a product innovation or a leadership vision.


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Meaning Drives EverythingAbraham Maslow has underpinned our understanding of psychological behaviours for many years with

his Hierarchy of Needs. It is ubiquitous with our modern design; so fundamental and deeply hidden in

our culture that we don’t fully see its manifestation in our design experiences. It is there and the model

is often misunderstood as a hierarchy, but we don’t believe that was his intent, despite the unfortunate

title of a very good and nuanced work. Humans have chosen to forgo the fundamental ‘higher’ elements

in the hierarchy in the absence of meaning. If people don’t have a feeling that the world makes sense,

then hopes die and their desire and ability to reach for basic needs or advanced growth disappears. The

design of human experience provides the context for the making of meaning for individuals. It is in making

their own meaning that humans then choose to leverage the tools presented to them; or not. Without a

connection on some level to meaning, even the best tool, idea, process or strategy will not be enough to

unleash the energy required to change.

Victor Frankle’s profound life and his book Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most powerful works

along this path of thinking.

Work is the Play of Children (and Play can be the Work of Adults)Children need to be immersed in play in order to learn how the world works: how things are connected

to each other, the impact that they have on the world and that the world has on them. Adults do not find

flow in their work until they engage with the world with the same focused abandon that they did when

they were children. As a child, you are supported and can afford to give yourself fully over to an activity

that you define as play. As an adult, you are supporting yourself, your family and the community you are

involved in – yet you can only leverage your potential when you give yourself over in the same way as

the child, to the challenge at hand. Great learning experiences need to pull humans into an immersive

and nuanced world and a set of challenges that allows participants to lose themselves, even for a few

moments, so that they can surprise themselves with what they find.


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Work is NobleWork is noble. No matter what the job, supporting ourselves, our families and contributing to our

community are noble acts. Great design needs to remind people of this inherent truth and remind them of

the contributions they are making.

Human AttentionIt is popular to believe that people aren’t paying attention. The truth is that they are, much more closely

than might be apparent. They see past your message and examine the messenger. They synthesize

context at a much more profound level than they are given credit for. Understanding this is the largest and

most profound opportunity in the design of human experience.


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Each Person has a Gift to ContributeEach person has a gift to contribute. This is our belief. Great design starts with this belief and then creates

the experience for people to either remember or discover this about themselves.

Defining the Right ProblemThe greatest opportunity for design impact is in the initial meeting(s) with clients and in the initial thinking

about the problem. Solving problems is usually is not the hard part. Defining the right problem to solve –

that is where insights emerge and great design starts.

(See our Insight Labs to see practice of our principles in action).


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The Boundaries of the Problem Solving SpaceOur role in design is not simply to understand the boundaries of the problem-solving space; it is to

question why those are the boundaries at all.

For Design to be a Strategic PartnerIf we want to achieve results that align with the mission and culture of the enterprise, that drop to

the bottom line, and go beyond silo-based thinking, we as a design partner have to drop our own silo

limitations from the design process as well. Design can’t simply be about training; it has to be aligned to

the business strategy, goals and culture, and to creating sustainable behaviour change.


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Chaos to OrderInherent in design is a journey. It is always an individual journey, even when a group is involved. The

individual needs to feel a movement from Chaos to Order. To begin with, they need to feel somewhat at

disequilibrium and they need to then move to a state of equilibrium. Most design doesn’t work because it

doesn’t recognize the need to start in disequilibrium. Too much uncertainty and you have chaos, and too

little and you have passivity and entropy. Understanding how to strike the right balance is fundamental to

great design and it is both an art and a science.

Isolation to CommunityHumans are always on the journey of moving from isolation to community. Humans want to move past

mere connection and toward more secure levels of relationship in a group or social structure. Great design

needs to recognize that this is one of the key reasons that people find the deep motivation required for

learning, for growth, for skill development and for understanding. This movement helps them not only to

do their jobs, but it helps them move to greater levels of community and ultimately toward meaning.


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Detail MattersNuance. Shade. Tone. Gradation. Volume. Detail. Humans are deeply moved by moments. An individual’s

reaction to an experience is influenced by the countless details that have been carefully crafted within it.

Details matter.

Context Trumps ContentTwo examples:

In a world of increasing complexity

• Who you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying.

• Say yes, but shake your head and look angry; which message do you think people will

believe? Humans say that the content matters, and of course it does matter. However, the extent of

that is precisely determined by our judgment of the context of that content. Designing content is

never enough; the nuance of context delivers the power behind the message and needs to be carefully

crafted.

(See our Thought Paper Context Trumps Content.)


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It is Possible...It is possible to create massive cultural shifts, to sustainably change behaviors, to align around values,

well-defined brands, clear strategies and a leader’s vision. It is not only possible – it is precisely what our

audiences hope to be able to find in their work. Great design simply gets the junk out of the way, between

a clear direction and natural aspiration. It also puts in just-in-time systems and tools to measure, remind

and support those aligned aspirations through the hills and valleys of implementation.

Four ‘Walls” of the ClassroomWhether those ‘walls’ are virtual or real, great design refines what is possible within them. It has to start

with the foundational design tools, driving human motivations and leveraging natural human aspirations.


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Time and Group Size MattersTiming is a powerful factor in design. The same program will have dramatically different effects based

on the design of the schedule. A fully immersive, asynchronous, virtual, pervasive experience stretched

across four weeks can be amazing for one company in one context; for another company and context a

three-hour, globally synchronous experience can lead to the same amazing benefits. Time is an incredibly

important design element.

Group size matters and is an important design element. Whether small debriefing or mass energy,

individual learning or massive cultural shift, size is an important context-setting design element, not just a

logistical question.

When does the penny drop?We do not understand how humans learn. Not really. Great design needs to recognize that at this moment

in human evolution, the best learning theory gives us only an approximation of how humans actually take

in sensory data, encode it and create the consistent ability to choose at a specific future point in time to

use it productively. Neurosurgeons we interviewed are humbled by the complexity of the human brain; as

designers we have a deep sense of respect for this complexity. We will only move the yardstick forward by

openly acknowledging the current significant gaps in our own understanding. We can’t underestimate the

task at hand in having humans make consistently different choices. We cannot let this acknowledged gap

prevent us from taking productive and effective action. But great learning design has to provide some

room for the mystery inside the process of learning; if not, the experience and content will crowd out the

very learning it is trying to achieve.


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In-Classroom Facilitation and DesignIn-classroom learning is facilitated by talented, motivated people. Design should support the best

intentions of a skilled facilitator – rather than get in their way. Facilitation is an art. It is to be understood

in the moment, with the participants standing right there. The design of the experience needs to fit this

powerful, dynamic relationship and to provide the best options for optimizing that relationship.

Consistency and SpontaneityIndividuals always create their own story within a design. The design needs to recognize this reality, and

celebrate it, rather than ignore it. Facilitators and technology-enabled Digital Mentor (DM) feedback must

have the ability to translate the individual’s experience of that design. Those are two different things,

sometimes radically different. The design needs richness and consistency. The process of debriefing and

feedback requires knowledge of both the intent of the design and some appreciation for the unique story

that forms in a participant’s mind about the experience. Consistency and spontaneity are both required

for optimal human experience. This is as true in the design of virtual immersion worlds as it is in the

creation of classroom experiential events.


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Form Follows Function. And Function Equally Follows FormFor years the idea of design was that form follows function. While this is true, it is only a half-truth. The

other half is that function equally follows form. We shape the spaces we work in – but once we use those

spaces they shape us! The design of human experiences is no different. Once we design an experience for

humans, it shapes the behaviours of those within it.

Hints and ClarityAny design that is perfectly clear is inherently dishonest. Life is not like that and on some level humans

understand this. Some things serve an audience better behind a curtain, slightly blurry. This is not to hide

the clarity, but to reveal the mystery.


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Connecting to Your AudienceWhen you are training, educating, or communicating ideas, you are not only transferring ideas; you are

connecting at a soul-to-soul level with other humans. Your audience, both virtual and in-person, will

on some level ask two questions: “Who are you?” and “Why are you doing this?” Great design must

create, in every nuance of the context (timing, emphasis, words, images, character, direction, tone and

engagement), the opportunity for each individual to clearly and quickly arrive at positive answers to those

questions for themselves. Only then will you have the opportunity for your idea to even be considered.

StoryEvery human experience is a story. Everything has, and is, a story. One of the most important talents a

designer brings to bear on a project--perhaps the most important--is to understand the simple story of

the sometimes very complex experience they are creating. That means understanding how the variables

within that story intimately connect to each other and to those who will experience them. Do they flow?

Are they alive? Do they dance? Is the story simple enough for humans to interact with it and create their

own story within it? Is the story rich enough to be both intellectually challenging, as well as

emotionally engaging?


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ComplexityWe are hired for complex, challenging projects. It is what we do and we love (most of) it! There comes

a point in every creation where the weight of the variables seem overwhelming and complex. This is the

point of breaking the project or of breakthrough; and it is where the designer must answer one question

successfully, “What is the simple story within this complexity and of this experience?” Finding the right

answer means arriving at the sweet side of complexity. Avoiding the question or answering incorrectly

means losing the design and becoming buried behind a shallow mask of complexity. We know from

experience that it is much better to face and answer the question correctly the first time.

Simple is not SimplisticThe best designs are both simple and complex. They derive their unique character, creativity and

complexity from the multiplicity of permutations and combinations of a very few, carefully chosen, simple

rules.

Underlying the most successful ‘complex’ designs are a few simple and clear driving elements. Inside

each simple driver you must find a rock-solid foundation of both heart and logic. Underlying unsuccessful

designs, whether complex or simple, are either unclear drivers, or overly complex ones.

While it seems training and education is about what we ‘show and tell,’ the truth is much more compelling

and intriguing. People need to be seen before they can really open themselves to seeing. They need to

feel accepted as part of a group and identified as an individual within it. The design of powerful human

experiences requires the environment to not just ‘show and tell’ ideas being presented, but to ensure that

the participants feel they are regarded as unique and valued individuals. This can and should happen even

when the audience is 10,000 virtual participants.

Learning is never about filling empty heads; it is about inspiring each individual human to grow.


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visit us at:www.experienceit.com

IDEAS WE CARE ABOUT

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